What's Your Name, Little Girl?
by Hoprabbit
Summary: Before any of the books. Project 6 Now Max can't figure out what to name herself, and they escape from the School. No cussing, no suggestiveness.


**Authors Note: Title inspired by "What's your name" By Lynrd Skynrd. Max POV. Before any of the books. I felt Maximum Ride needed a base, a place to start. Not the best, but when the idea comes, you get it down your best. I'm not sure when Jeb saved them, so I estimated ages. I'm not sure I want feedback(I use my mom's e-mail) But if it must be sent, send it, by all means!**

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"What should I name myself?"

I thought silently. In this cage, I felt weak, and insignificant. The only person who had shown any kindness to me was Jeb Batchelder. He slipped me and the others food in between training sessions. I had five other winged kids around me. All of them had named themselves except for the tall, blonde Blind one, and Me. We all had wings. Project 6 was Me. 7 was the boy crated next to me, a dark -haired guy around my age who called himself Fang. By him was 8, Blind one. Then 9, Nudge, the dark-skinned talkative one, followed by 10 and 11, Gasman(we had named him because of...well, you guessed it), a blond little boy, and Angel, his blood sister, also blonde, who I named because she was so sweet. All the projects before and after us were horrible disasters, or Erasers. I'll add more on them soon.

I had always given every stupid test everything I had. We all tried, but for some reason, I was strongest, even than Fang and Blind one. I could last the longest, punch the hardest, fly the farthest, and I knew enough to not trust the whitecoats, except Jeb. Jeb had a little son named Ari who came once in awhile to the lab, what Jeb called "The School" I wasn't exactly sure what it was, but it's not too fun.

Blind one shouted suddenly from his cage. "Iggy!" We all looked at him, and he said, "I'll name myself Iggy." I didn't know why, but it sounded appropriate. I was the only kid who didn't have a name. It felt awful to hear myself called "Project 6" but I kind of liked what the other kids, the Flock, called me.

Maximum.

It was really a great thing to be called. I knew it meant that I was strong, and could tough anything out. It meant I was powerful, and not some experiment...not Project 6. I could be reckoned with. But it wasn't a name, was it?

"Eraser number twenty-three, please come to the treadmills. E23, come to the treadmills." It boomed over the speakers. Erasers were humans that could turn into wolf-men. They were twice as strong as us, but were slow to think, not a smart, and not quite as fast. Only thirty Erasers had turned out successfully. Only us six bird-kids were still alive. Projects 5,12 and 14(who were also bird-kids) hadn't made it past the first few months, and Project 13(a bird-kid) had been caught and eaten by an Eraser at two years old.

I felt a headache coming. I clutched my head, and Fang gave me a simpathetic look. "Iggy" Fang and I were always close, since we were all the same age. We slowly accepted the other three. It wasn't hard, they were really sweet kids, but we were a little skeptical.

I have a little crush on Fang. He's very cute, even though he never talks. Very .. Emo. I feel a little stupid, I mean, I barely know what some of these words mean, but Jeb has a master plan to break us out, and he shows us movies from time to time. Jeb's plan is supposed to take place sometime today.

I think I'm nine or ten. So are Iggy and Fang. Nudge is probably about seven. Gazzy, maybe five? And little Angel, she's maybe three. We stick together. Everyone seems to appoint me leader, because they all say i'm toughest, I'm Maximum.

I see Jeb rush in, keys in hand. He probably should have tried to look more casual, I think, but then the alarm goes off. "Breach in security. Code 237. Repeat, Code 237." Jeb fiddles with the keys as he locks the door. Luckily, that is the only way out. Besides the wall that we could break through, and will.

Jeb opens our cages, and we unfurl our wings. Iggy seems confused, and looks around. We all point him toward the wall, and everyone hits it with a sudden force. It crumbles, leaving us bruised, and Nudge says something about a dislocated shoulder. Mine feels broken, but I'm Maximum. No fear. No pain. Pain is a message. Pain is on hold.

As I fly at my top speed, I think of my nickname. Maximum. Max. I. Mum. It had the potential....It described me. I felt exhilrated. Even with my all exerted, I have a sudden burst of adrenaline. I heard the Erasers trailing. They are powerful, But they can't catch us. Jeb seemed to have left. He told us he would get out another way.

As I rush up, spreading my wings completely, I view my house. MY house. The place I will live in. I stop and backpedal a little for a clean-cut landing. Jeb is already at the door, but the others are still behind me. I can't hear Erasers anymore. And then I know my name. Maximum.

I run inside, and scream at the top of my lungs, "MAXIMUM!" Everyone can already tell it's my chosen name.

Even as an escaped experiment with wings, lifes hard, but good.


End file.
